"Breaking heart" due to hydrofluoric acid burns in a case of homicide.

Homicide attacks in which hydrofluoric acid (HF) is used are very rare, and few studies have reported the pathological changes. Hypocalcemia is thought to be the cause of sudden death from HF; nevertheless, after neutralization of the blood concentration of calcium ions, HF-induced arrhythmia may still occur, suggesting that in addition to hypocalcemia, direct toxic effects of HF may play a pivotal role in myocardial damage. Here, we report a homicidal forensic autopsy case with pathological changes of the myocardium due to HF burns.

Ractopamine at legal residue dosage accelerates atherosclerosis by inducing endothelial dysfunction and promoting macrophage foam cell formation.

Ractopamine, a synthetic β-adrenoreceptor agonist, is used as an animal feed additive to increase food conversion efficiency and accelerate lean mass accretion in farmed animals. The U.S.

Tuberculosis Surveillance in Taiwan Forensic Autopsy Cases: A Retrospective Analysis of 71 Cases From 2012 to 2017.

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the most important public health issues worldwide, and global efforts have altered the TB epidemic. This study analyzed 71 cases of TB at autopsy notified via Taiwan Medical Examiner Surveillance for Lethal Infectious Disease (Taiwan Med-X) between 2012 and 2017 and applied immunohistochemistry to formalin-fixed lung tissue. Tuberculosis was present in 0.

Fatal parvovirus B19 infections: a report of two autopsy cases.

Parvovirus B19 (PVB19) commonly infects children and is usually asymptomatic. Lethal outcomes of PVB19 infection are unusual; nevertheless, the two cases reported here are rare examples of PVB19-induced hemophagocytic syndrome and myocarditis in infants and children. The two cases show the indisputable usefulness of immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization in the detection of PVB19.

Rhabdomyolysis observed at forensic autopsy: a series of 52 cases.

Rhabdomyolysis is characterized by skeletal muscle injury resulting in the release of intracellular proteins (such as myoglobin) and electrolytes into the blood circulation, which cause acute kidney injury, myoglobinuria and electrolyte imbalances. Clinical diagnosis of rhabdomyolysis is made on the basis of biochemical analysis; however, for forensic autopsies, biochemical data are often not available, and it is necessary to diagnose rhabdomyolysis via histopathological examinations. This study analyzed 52 cases with rhabdomyolysis and applied myoglobin immunohistochemistry to kidney, urine and blood samples.

Dengue virus infection induces autophagy: an in vivo study.

Background: We and others have reported that autophagy is induced by dengue viruses (DVs) in various cell lines, and that it plays a supportive role in DV replication. This study intended to clarify whether DV infection could induce autophagy in vivo. Furthermore, the effect of DV induced autophagy on viral replication and DV-related pathogenesis was investigated.

Resveratrol inhibits alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone signaling, viability, and invasiveness in melanoma cells.

Melanoma is a malignancy with high potential to invasion and treatment resistance. The α -melanocyte-stimulating hormone ( α -MSH) signal transduction involving Wnt/ β -catenin, c-Kit, and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), a known pathway to produce melanin, has been demonstrated as one of cancer stem cell characteristics. This study was aimed to examine the effect of resveratrol, an abundant ingredient of grape and medicinal plants, on α -MSH signaling, viability, and invasiveness in melanoma cells.